The Portland daily press., 1887-01-05
A FEARFUL ACCIDENT
on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Near Tlffin, Ohio.
A Fast Passenger Train Runs into a
Freight Train.
TeIescoped Cars Take Fire and Inn
prison the Wounded.
Thirteen Out of Sixty Passengers
Believed to Have Been Killed.

Believed to Have Been Killed.
TIFrIN, Ohio, Jan. 4.--The fast train on
| the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, which left
| New York about o'clock yesterday fol
| Chicago with five coaches and four sleepers
| all well filed with passengers, collided with
an eastern bound freight seven miles east oi
this city about 4 O'Clock this morning. The
| fast train was about fifty minutes late and
was running at the rate of GO miles an hour.
passing Republic, small station, like a
fash. They rushed along to the curve, a
mile west of that town, when suddenly the
engineer saw the freight train under full
headway, within one hundred yards Of him.
He at once applied the brakes and reversed
his engine, but it did no good, and the next
instant the crash came, telesc0ping one
coach and piling them up on each other. To
add CONSERVATION to the horrible scene fire
broke out in the smoking car and soon
spread to the other cars. Many were killed
outright, while others wedged in among the
broken cars were slowly consumed by the
flames. The screams of the wounded and
dying were heartrending, but no assistance
could be given until a farmer, awakened by
the crash, came, and with other nelghbOrs
worked like heroes to save the perishing.
At this writing 10 dead bodies have been
recovered, and they lie burned and dis
figured in the snow beside the track. Help
was sent from Republic and this city as soon
as the news was received. 1t is a fearful
sight and recalls the Ashtabula horror of
- 10 fu.n 10 frftya
names Of the killed or wounded at this time.
The cause Of the disaster is as yet unknown.
A Passenger Describes the Catas-
trophe.
TOLEDO, o.. Jan. 4.-Mr. Charles p. Toll
and wife, Of Detroit, who were on the
wrecked Baltimore & Ohio train this morn
ing, passed through here at noon, and Mr..
Toll gives this account of the disaster;
The train was the Baltimore & Ohio limit
ed express No. 8, which left Washington
city at 10 a. m. yesterday. AT 215 this
morning he was awakened by being thrown
violently from his berth. The train consist
ed Of the engine, baggage car, one coach and
two sleepers. The train collided with an
east bound freight train which had got
stalled mile west of Republic and eight
miles east Of Tifin. The two engines were
utterly wrecked. The coach telescoped into
the baggage car so completely that the two
cars were completely crushed into the space
of one. The two sleepers did not leave the
track The teleseoped cars caught fire from
the stove, and the mangled and crushed pas
sengers, imprisoned in the shattered wreck,
Shrieked in agony as the flames proceeded
with their work of destruction. The en-
gineer and fireman Of the freight leaped and
saved themselves before the collision. The
engineer of the express, named Eastman,
had leg broken and sustained severe
wound in the shoulder. His fireman was
caught between the engine and tender and
died in few minutes The uninjured pas
sengers and the residents of the neighbor-
hood set to work to aid the wounded passen-
gers in the burning cars, rescuing all who
could be reached. Up to the time Mr.. Toll
left, which was at O'Clock, eight dead
bodies had been rescued from the wreck.
The baggage man Of the express was thrown
through the roof Of his car, escaping with a
broken leg. The express messenger, who
was sitting beside him, was killed instantly.
No one in the sleepers was injured in the
least. Among the passengers in the sleeper
were Mrs. Fish of Joliet, ILL.,, sister of
Gen. Logan, and her son Charles. neither of
whom was injured. The shock was so ter
rife that the farmers in the .neighborhood
took it to be an earthquake and were soon at
the scene Of the wreck. In the confusion
hot dispute arose among the train men as to
the responsibility for the disaster. 1t ap-
peared that the freight train was running ON
the time Of the express; the engineer was
heard to remark that he had left the last
siding with only thirty pounds Of steam,
and on the up grade east OF Tiffn his engine
went back on him" and the train stalled;
No danger signals were sent out ahead, and
the express, running at full speed down
grade and around a curve, had no warning
Of impending danger until an instant before
the collision.
The total number of passengers on the
I~s.1 Del fraf
dead bodies have been taken out and three
are believed to he in the ruins. The names
of the dead, so far as identified, are as fol-
lows: f. G. BARLEY, Washington; William
Frederick, Washington; Foreman Of Express,
Joseph Osterman, and two sons, OF Martins
burg, West Virginia. Mrs. Osterman and two
children were saved. The smoker was en-
tirely consumed and all the passengers In it
killed. All the mail and express matter was
destroyed.
TIFFIN, Ohio, Jan. 4.-The express does
not make stop at the town of Republic.
village of 900 inhabitants, nine miles west Of
this city, and II is supposed was running at
a speed Of not less than 80 miles an hour
The freight eastward bound had expected to
make siding at Republic, and was probably
making a rate of speed not less than 20 miles
per hour. The telescope Of the trains was as
clean cut and disastrous as has ever been
witnessed in this section Of the country. The
engines were run into each other as one stove
pipe fits into its mate. and all that could be
seen was one chaotic mass Of brass, iron and
steel. Among those who were saved from
the wreck remaining in Republic were mo-
ther with three little ones hardly out of their
swaddlng clothes, the husband and father,
with two sons, having been burned in the
wreck. In some way that even this mother
was unable to relate how, she got out OF the
ear in which she had been travelling and
wandered away from the burning train, car
rying her two youngest children in her arms,
entered the first house in which she found a
light. She was almost crazed. Ihe family
were ON their way to Missouri, Her hus-
band. VIM. Postlethwaite, was 81 years old,
and the sons killed with him were is and IL.
The agents of the Baltimore Il Ohio en-
deayored to to take care of the mother and
children by sending them to Chicago juno
tiOn where the company have hotel. On
tadvice, however, of her friends who were
telegraphed she consented TO remain In he
public until she should hear from her son
who remained in West Virginia.
P0stlethwaite had on his person $500 in
money, a draft for $780, government check
for SIS, a note Of $3.50, beside tickets and
money for immediate use. All were burned,
There was no.way for relief to have reached
the wrecked train sooner than it did. The
ground was covered with snow. The c0llis-
ion occurred one mile from town and half
mile from any dwelling and the hour was
o'clock a. m.
1t IS related that one Bradley, prominent
Knight of Labor from Washington, ID. O.,
who while the flames were bursting from the
car windows which had been broken in by
the collision, put out his hand and threw
his watch and pocket book to those whom
he could see outside. He was pinned down
and was being roasted alive. but those who
saw him and heard his frenzed cries were
unable to render relief.
The chaIred remains of the express mes
senger consisted of the two thigh bones
which were found in the debris of the car.
The engineer and fremen of the freight
reversed their engines and jumped. The en-
gineer of the express reversed his engine
and sprang to the left. The fireman en-
deavored to get ont to the right but fell close
to his crushed engine and was badly burned
but not beyond recognition. His body has
been placed in neat casket and is now at
the undertakers at Republic awaiting the ar
rival of his relatives
There has been a steady stream of citi-
zens from all parts of the country TO the
wreck.
1t was reported that Congressman Seney
who has been at home for few days was on